The Sheriff’s Office is guided by best practice and industry standards developed by the Oregon State Sheriff’s Association, Northwest Accreditation Alliance, National Institute of Corrections, Major County Sheriffs of America and Prison Rape Elimination Act.
Additionally, oversight is provided by the Board of County Commissioners to include public participation, our annual Corrections Grand Jury process, facilitated by the District Attorney’s Office and conducted independently by Multnomah County residents, and other organizations that have oversight authority such as Disability Right Oregon. Through these organizations, the Sheriff’s Office is subject to audits, inspections, accreditations and standards compliance.
Internal Affairs Unit
The Internal Affairs Unit is dedicated to creating an environment which encourages the highest standards of integrity by assessing and appropriately addressing complaints and concerns received from the public and agency members.
Individuals wishing to file a complaint against an MCSO member, may do so by postal mail, email, phone, fax or in person. Complaints can be made anonymously, though we encourage you to provide your name, telephone number and mailing address to help us conduct a thorough investigation and notify you of any action taken as a result.
We've created a Complaint Form. Please submit online or by email.
Phone: (503) 988-4557
Email: iau@mcso.us
It is policy of the sheriff’s office to investigate complaints in a timely, thorough, and impartial manner. For a full description of internal affairs processing, please visit this policy page.
Local Public Safety Coordinating Council (LPSCC)
LPSCC is a statutorily created collaboration and is made up of public safety partners including the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office. The Executive Committee, which guides the work of multiple subcommittees and work groups, including a jail usage workgroup and reentry council, meets monthly. The Multnomah County LPSCC engages in a variety of activities to improve and reform the criminal justice system. More can be learned on the county's website.
County Auditor
The Multnomah County Auditor’s Office promotes accountable and equitable county government. They find out how well the county government is working, recommend improvements, and report out the public.
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County Good Governance Hotline
The County Auditor's Good Government Hotline gives county employees and the public a confidential way to report:
- Suspected fraud, waste, inefficiency, and abuse of position.
- Issues where an employee’s conduct broadly affects the integrity, efficiency, or effectiveness of County government.
- Retaliation that appears to be based on a report submitted to the hotline.
The Good Government Hotline allows you to make reports online or by speaking to a trained professional by phone. Your report is taken by a neutral third party; it is not taken by County management.
Call: 888-289-6839 – available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Online: Reporting form
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County Ombudsperson
The County Ombudsperson helps people who live in Multnomah County resolve issues with county programs and departments. The Ombudsperson ensures that residents are treated fairly in their interactions with the county. As a part of the County Auditor’s office, the Ombudsperson is impartial and independent.
Call: 503-988-1234
Email: ombudsperson@multco.us
County Jail Audit & Response
Multnomah County Auditor’s Office conducted an audit in 2022 to provide an update on jail conditions. County leadership committed to making improvements based on a 2017 Disability Rights Oregon report which found improper conditions for individuals with mental health conditions. Their focus was on describing conditions with a data-rich approach that could inform the ongoing community discussions about the legal system.
Then-Sheriff Mike Reese provided this response to the audit.